An admirable MEP

The Green Party’s south-west MEP is Molly Scott Cato, originally from Bath, who moved to Stroud six years ago.

Ms Scott Cato was given an opportunity to use experiences learned fromlast winter’s floods in the South Westto give the European Parliament a Green perspective on tackling flood alleviation and flood prevention.

In her address she said that Greens call for three elements of a responsible flood policy:

making adequate investment in the infrastructurethat prevents flooding, not allowing austerity cuts to increase the risk as our communities become inundated;

using a whole-catchment approach, considering how our farming practices have reduced the land’s ability to absorb rainfall for longer before it drains into the river; prioritising, in the CAP subsidiary scheme, the adoption of land management practices involving maintaining hedges and trees; using organic methods that reduce soil run-off, making explicit the link between flooding and climate change;

constantly remembering the flooding incidents across Europe which underline the urgent need to agree meaningful carbon-dioxide reductions at the COP 21 negotiations in Paris next year.

Following an increasing number of flooding incidents across Europe,MEPs haveasked for an annual report from the Commission on flood prevention.